Statements

Message of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches(Phanar, March 6-9, 2014)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Through the grace of God, the Primates of the Most Holy Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, to the Orthodox faithful throughout the world, all of our Christian brothers and sisters as well as every person of goodwill: we extend God’s blessing and our greeting of love and peace.

“We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 1.2-3)

The official regular session of the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue (ICAOTD) to be held between 4-11 September 2013 in Novi Sad

Hosted by the Serbian Orthodox Church, this significant convention which summons more than 30 notable dignitaries, professors and theologians from both Churches is being held in a congress hall of the hotel Centar in Novi Sad, being organized by the Diocese of Backa. The topic of this year’s theological dialogue, as well as during former regular conventions of the International Commission, is the issue of identity and meaning of human being in Jesus Christ including also the relation of the Christian anthropology towards burning questions of the modern age such as, for instance, questions of bioethics, genetic engineering, sex identity, euthanasia, ecology or issues related to social-political sphere and human rights, and the issues of hunger, inequality, slavery, wars between peoples, nations and countries, changes in psychological structures of individuals and families exposed to marginalization, loneliness, violence, drugs, and other media propaganda.

The President of Serbia Mr. Tomislav Nikolic received yesterday on August 14, 2012 the representatives of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, Their Graces Bishops Marko of Bregalnica and David of Stobi, the member of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop Irinej of Backa and Bishop Porfirije of Jegar. Bishops of the Archbishopric of Ohrid told the problems of their Church, facts on the unjust imprisonment of Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid and about the vulnerability of human rights and religious freedoms of bishops, priests, monks and believers of the Archbishopric of Ohrid. President Nikolic assured his guests that he would actively advocate for full respect for human rights and religious freedoms, not only for the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but for all people, all nations and all communities in Serbia, in the region and the world.

On Monday, July 2, 2012 at the Patriarchate, the constitutive session of the Commission of the Holy Assembly of Bishops for revision of the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church with its decision of June 16, 2011 formed the Commission for revision of the Constitution of the SOC consisting of: His Eminence Metropolitan Dr Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, president; His Grace Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Dr Jovan; Their Graces Bishops Dr Irinej of Backa, Dr Ignjatije of Branicevo and retired Dr Atanasije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina; protopresbyter-staurophor Dr Zoran Krstic, hieromonk MSc Nikodim (Kosovic); protodeacon Dr Stanimir Spasovic; prof. Dr Sima Avramovic; professor Dr Nenad Milosevic and Milan Andric,members, as well as protopresbyter-staurophor MSc Velibor Dzomic, secretary.

Today, on 12th December 2011, in attempt to enter the F.Y.R. Macedonia, on the border-crossing Medzitlija, on the border with Greece, the Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje kyr kyr Jovan was arrested and taken to the “Idrizovo” prison, near Skopje. Upon the false accusations by the schismatic organization in F.Y.R. Macedonia, in 2010 Archbishop Jovan was sentenced a prison term, but because the court process was performed in his absence, he has the legal right to request a repeat of the procedure. Therefore, it is expected that in three to five days he should be released from prison, and granted a new court procedure during which he would defend himself from freedom. Only as a reminder, on 16th November 2010 Archbishop Jovan was arrested on the Bulgarian border, upon a request by the Macedonian bureau of Interpol, in regard to exactly this court sentence, but the Court in Bulgaria released him with a rationale that the court verdict in F.Y.R. Macedonia was a result of the persecution on religious grounds, which the Archbishop undergoes for nine years already, and not because he was indeed guilty according to the criminal law.